Somewhere in 2024, a simple LinkedIn post appeared – one that could have easily been overlooked.
Lucabrando Sanfilippo (creator and writer) wrote something simple: “Is anybody in Europe doing micro-grants like 1517 or Bagel Fund? 100€ to 1000€ tickets to builders, artists, and creators who are doing cool stuff. No strings attached. I guess it would be some sort of: I give you permission to not seek permissions.”
It was Mateusz Włodarczyk and Milena Nowaczewska from Econverse who shared it with Waldek Olbryk as a source of inspiration. And that was exactly the point – the idea came from the young to the experienced, not the other way around. It became the first proof that something extraordinary can emerge from intergenerational exchange.
For more than 25 years, Waldek built and scaled organisations in the real estate industry. As he was increasingly invited to speak at conferences, he found himself asking a question that rarely comes up on stage: what if part of every speaking fee creates an impact far beyond a one-day event?
The answer didn’t come from a report. It came from a conversation – with the Econverse Foundation team: Mateusz Włodarczyk, Szymon Sobiech, and Antek Kałuża. Soon after, Przemek Zakrzewski from ABB joined the circle (as a friend in crime 😊) through educational initiatives, urban experiments, and projects bridging the digital and analogue worlds. Przemek became the second founder who understood the philosophy long before it had a name.
Not a fund. A permission.
That’s how the phrase that became the name was born: Permission Fund.
Not another accelerator. Not a mentoring program built around forms and pitch decks. A micro-fund that “invests in courage, not business plans”.
The philosophy was simple from day one: simple, fast, meaningful. Inspired by Bagel Fund and 1517 Microgrants – initiatives that invest in young people with a small amount of capital and a great deal of trust, rather than a long list of requirements. And backed by own money –“Because someone needs to be the first to trust”.
Five principles that have remained unchanged since day one
From our very first conversation over coffee to the launch of Cohort 1.0, five principles have remained constant:
Simple, Fast, Meaningful – No forms. No bureaucracy. Just an idea, a conversation, and a decision.
Mutual Mentoring – Everyone learns from everyone. It’s not a transfer of knowledge from the top down, but an exchange of perspectives.
Trust over Process – Trust before the system.
Stories over Reports – Every initiative ends with a story, not a financial report.
Give Forward – Not giving back, but passing it forward: your time, your experience, and a small contribution to the next person.
A Circle of Support – the voices that gave Permission Fund a human face
Before Cohort 1.0 was launched, we had asked a few people to record a short message for the young participants. Not about success. About taking the first step.
Natalia Przybysz, singer and songwriter: “Look within yourselves and find everything you already carry – the skills, the strengths, and the courage that are already there – to take action. But also look around and see how many people are there to support you along the way.”
Kajetan Kajetanowicz, World Rally Champion: “My journey didn’t start easily. In my very first race, I ended up rolling the car. But with the support of many people, I found the strength to keep going. It proves that no matter how you start, you should never give up.”
Jeff Boss, former Navy SEAL and coach: “You don’t need a five-year plan, you just need a single next step that you can execute in the next two days.”
Michał Wojtas, musician and composer: “If you dedicate your time to something, create it, and at the end of the day decide that you don’t like it – that is still a piece of great work. It is not time wasted. Challenge your assumptions and just take action.”
Four worlds. One core belief: don’t wait until you’re ready.
Menternship – a relationship AI can’t replace
A group of leaders joined the project, united by one belief: open minds and a willingness to become Menterns – both Mentors and Interns in one person. And here is the team: Magda Dembińska Bullseye Consulting, Anna Kędziora-Szwagrzak Veolia, Basia Niemczuk Coca Cola, Piotr Owdziej CC Group, Piotr Pietrzak from IBM, Justyna Biernacka Materiality, Adam Wiśniewski from AI Clearing, Remigiusz Lewandowski from the Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW), and Jakub Jasieczak from the Alliance of Special Purpose Companies (PSC).
None of them stepped in as experts on a pedestal. Each one came ready to learn from 20-year-olds as much as the 20-year-olds learn from them.
Adam Wiśniewski has captured it better than any brief ever could: “A piece of paper on the table. Two cups of coffee. A clear vision of what we were about to build.” That’s how AI Clearing came to be. And that’s why it belongs in Permission Fund – because it remembers that moment. Not the success story. The first step.
Cohort 1.0 – June 2026
On 16 June, at Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw, Permission Fund officially began. Mentors and mentees came together in one room for the first time. What comes next?
90-day sprint. Four checkpoints. 16 September – Batch 1 Finale.
No one knows yet what these 90 days will become. But from the very beginning, Permission Fund has known one thing:
A failed project that was brought to life is worth more than a perfect idea that never saw the light of day.
Step 0 begins now.
